Mini Skirt Belly Band!
Thursday, August 06, 2009 | By Monique63
This is a slightly unusual tip that I thought to share with you.
I wear a stretchy mini skirt around my middle underneath my clothes!
At the moment I am an 'apple' shape and due to a medical condition my belly is distended and I look pregnant. I liked the idea of wearing a 'body' under my clothes but they would need washing everyday like regular underwear. They are expensive too.
I found an old mini skirt in my wardrobe from my younger years and wondered if I could use it like a belly band. It's made from cotton with some elastane so it's a comfy fit.
I feel like it keeps in my tummy and keeps me warm under my clothes.
We had a heatwave not so long ago and I was fine wearing it then. Where I would normally perspire under my boobs I was kept dry.
Specially designed belly bands are expensive so I suggest buying a cheap mini skirt (charity shops are a good place to find them in the U.K.) Just try to find one that is the pull-on kind that's nice and stretchy.
I told you it was unusual!
Monique :)
PS: The photo I have enclosed is one designed for pregnant women but if that was a pull-on mini skirt you can get the basic idea.
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One Product SO Many Uses
Sunday, July 12, 2009 | By Monique63
I bought a small pump spray and filled it with Listerine. It has so many uses!
- I use it as a mouth spray to freshen breath. Extremely thrifty instead of buying all the branded mouth sprays. Saves me a fortune.
- Spray under your arms as an alternative to deodorant - if some of you are sensitive to the chemicals in roll-on and spray deodorants.
- Spray on kitchen work surfaces to kill all bacteria.
- Spray a little under your car seat. As the engine warms up it releases a mint fragrance to get rid of stale odours.
- Spray a little on a tissue and dab onto a developing spot.
- Use as an anti-bacterial spray for your hands when out and about. In case you sneeze of course, and for general cleanliness (For example- after pushing the supermarket trolley- you have no idea how much bacteria lives on the pushing handle!)
- Spray in between your toes and leave for a while then dry thoroughly. For the treatment of athlete's foot or overheated feet. If you are on your feet all day do this in your lunch break and it will revive tired feet too.
- Massage a few sprays into your scalp to treat and prevent dandruff.
- Spray a little onto a tissue and apply to any insect or bug bite, it lessens the swelling and relieves the itching.
So you see, one product does an awful lot. Now that's what I call being thrifty!
Source: Myself and various other sources (Books and the Internet mostly.)
By MONIQUE63 from Somerset, UK
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The first of many
Wednesday, May 20, 2009 | By Trundgirl
I love this site, Thrifty Fun. I have been reading it for a long time and getting many ideas from it. Only today I found out I could do a blog through here. I have never wanted to do a blog before because I don't want it to turn out to be a complaining board for me. I deal with depression and am really learning new techniques to overcome it. That includes getting through some past things that really hurt me. One day at a time and through God I will get through. Yeah, so there may be days where some of that comes through but for the most part, I'll try not to. And with THAT being said... let's get on with talking about my kids, my dogs, my interestes and SAVING MONEY!! Yeah!! Wahoooo.... Always fun saving money!
I am in a daily learning mode of becoming a coupon queen!! I have my way of saving and it starts like this... whoa, back up first. I am a part of the old CincyMoms.com group now called mommy and me or something, through the Cincy Enquirer. There is a portion on there devoted to saving money. Through them I was able to learn couponing and finding out how and when things go on sale. One of the big things was making a binder. I had a pretty one but overuse made the binding crack so now I have a basic white bigger one. You fill it with baseball card holder filling and that is your binder. I also have an 8X10 open filler between most topics for coupons that are too big or reminders for things or who knows what. Each week I purchase two Cincinnati Enquirers and cut the coupons that I know or think I know I will use. I send the remainder to a friend from church who does the same thing. I organize my coupons and put each of them in the single card holders so I can flip it open at any time to the topic and see what I have available. Every Saturday I get the door store with the store ads in them and sit down and see what's on sale. After I circle, figure out prices and make my list; I go through and get all my coupons. Meijer is my families biggest savings store. We only go to Krogers for the sales ads but basically stay away from them. We also go to Walmart a lot. It is nothing for me to safe on an average of $45 per trip and spend around $60ish. My best one yet was a savings of around $75 and we spent around $38ish. It gets to be a big game to see what we can save and get by on. I also make out my meals weekly or maybe more like every three days. And that is it. We do get Angel Food monthly also. That helps us also. I would suggest others to look into Angel Food in their areas.
I have other tips but if I wrote them all now... my son would not get lunch, this would be pages and pages, my dog would potty on the rug and I would have nothing to write about later. Well.. yeah I would. Hee hee... So until next time... Happy Saving kiddos!
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The Handmade Toy Revolution
Wednesday, March 18, 2009 | By hunt4anarnia
Ok so eventhough my daughter Brianna is only just two-months old, I find myself constantly thinking of her development. Specifically how I can enhance and enrich her learning. I admit that I want the best for my child, and starting her ahead of the developmental learning curve, is a great way for me to do that.
Taking my inspiration from the "Your Baby Can Read" dvd's you know the one's that cost about $200 bucks on-line. Well here is a take on my idea. Using themes like; Groceries,Animals and even Shapes,Alphabets & Numbers, all of the items are stuffed felt creations handmade by me with love to enhance her learning as she grows. Since my daughter is so young I came up with the idea to create each category into a mobile. I've hung the Shapes,Alphabet and Numbers mobile over her crib. The Animals and Groceries mobiles hang in our play area for when we play together.
I really enjoy catching her attention with the bright felt colors that I've used to create these toys for her. My secret to pulling this off of course is by using awesome patterns such as "Little Brown Bird" by Umecrafts or "Felt Cuisine" by Hiromi Hughes these two great moms happen to be my idol's I truly adore their craft and appreciate the fact they share it with the world especially at such a "frugal" price!
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Zine Making & Coffee Date
Friday, March 13, 2009 | By freya1970
When I got home from work last night, I was excited to be spending some time alone as my partner was going out to a concert. I was feeling a bit bloated since I hadn't been to yoga in awhile (even though I had attempted to a few times!) and with the cold weather I've been eating a tad more, though not junk food, just a bit more food. I decided to have a veggie dog without the bun and almost an entire stalk of broccoli with it for dinner. Felt good!
After dinner, I worked on my zine and was getting impatient with some of the formatting. Usually my zines are very indie cut & paste type of projects but decided to make this one in Microsoft Publisher. Not sure it was a good idea because the feel of it isn't as homemade but I'm sure I'll decorate it with stickers, stamps and other things to make it look less professional :)
My friend wanted to spend his birthday money and invited me out shopping. I needed a break from writing so this sounded like a good idea, and I needed a few things anyways.
We ended up at Future Shop and I purchased a $12 bottle of stainless steal cleaner. *gulp* Honestly, I've tried everything to clean my appliances and nothing seems to work. Spring is coming and I was desperate to find something that actually works. I took a deep breath and spent the money. Now let's hope it performs!
Then, we went to the fabric store where i always check out the scrap bins for discounts. I can't sew but I like getting fabric for either wrapping or sending the pieces to my mom for her to make me little gift bags. My partner sews but he doesn't usually have much time for it. I was looking for some fleece material to make some enviro friendly facial toner and/or makeup remover pads. I had stumbled upon a blog where a woman used an old fleece bed sheet to make them. She cut a square, folded it in four and sewed the sides to make a cushiony type pad to apply her toner. I really lucked out and found a few yards of 100% undyed cotton fleece for $2 that people use to make reusable diapers. It is very soft, has that natural looking appearance to it and hadn't been bleached or anything. I needed to have these done before tonight, as my friend was coming over and I had made her some toner for her birthday bag and wanted to give her some of these pads. My friend surprised me and purchased me some really good fabric cutting scissors which were $30 but he bought them on sale for $20. Though I could have used these years ago, I never indulged because I rarely sew or cut fabric but wow...am I happy to have them! I cut out a sample square for my partner who said he'd sew the pads for me by tonight. *phew* Can't wait to see them when I get home from work.
We then ventured over to our usual coffee spot where he treated me to coffee and a piece of blueberry lemon loaf. I don't ever usually eat after dinner but I think I needed a little food after my diet dinner. :)
Apart from the fact that I didn't get much sleep, waited outside for the bus for over 1/2 hour in FREEZING cold weather this morning and the fact that it's friday the 13th, I still think it'll be a good day!
Still working on my new blog, I did post one article on there. Will work on it more today. I am in a real creative zone lately which is why I am not sleeping..head is too busy! Will try to get some of that out of my head today.
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coupon book
Monday, March 02, 2009 | By albright4ever
Hey friends thought I would tell you about a coupon organizer that I made and have used for almost 2 years now. I took a 2 to 3 inch binder and put those trading card holders in the binder. I then added my coupons into the binder and put them into categories such as dairy, snacks, breakfast items and misc. This makes it easier for me to keep up with the coupons that I have because I can see them with just the flip of a page. And if you like you can put a folder pocket in front of the binder to hold coupons that are going to expire soon or maybe even hold your grocery lists. It has made using coupons easier for me and I don't have as many coupons expire without being used. I wasted a lot of coupons because I couldn't keep up with what I had or didn't have. Hope it helps someone out there. Till next time.....
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Gifts for all Zodiac Signs
Thursday, December 04, 2008 | By freya1970
Zodiac Gifts: (you can purchase horoscope books everywhere, this is a nice addition to these gifts!)
Capricorn: They love stuff & pretty things. They like beauty. So either some art, nice framed photographs of family, beauty products or something shiny!
Aquarius: Ecclectic, progressive and inventive. Don't get anything that everyone else wants! They like to be different. They are the underdog. Gift certificates to eco stores (not trendy ones!), new age stores or some science center would be cool. Handmade things are also extremely appreciated, they will love you for it no matter what it is. Stay away from anything trendy or showy, they'll hate it. Keep it real & from the heart :)
Pisces: Sensitive and intuitive. They like things that feel and smell good. They smell everything! They are also quiet so getting them something like a journal to write in (handmade is better!), perhaps something smelly like a candle, bubble bath, or a nice fuzzy blanket with a book to curl up. they love gifts that are thoughtful & come from the heart.
Aries: Very outgoing & talkative. They love people and like to keep busy. They enjoy new things and are curious. Maybe a date calender, calling card, a new trendy book or dvd (self help or business), a bus ticket (so they can go explore!), a cd with downloaded podcasts of a topic they'd be interested in..
Taurus: Taureans are extremely social. They can get along with anyone. They generally like structure and more traditional things in life. ). They are also great with money! They'd love something like a homecooked meal, a gift certificate to their favourite clothing store, something for their house (like decorative candles, paintings/photos, a throw for their sofa) or a gift certificate for a free movie night out.
Gemini: They have a strong work ethic and are social, curious, & humanitarians. Most geminis are tied to their work or take a lot of pride in everything they do. They have a lot of interests! A gift certificate to a new yoga place or gym, subscription to satellite radio, a spa basket for them to relax (they have trouble relaxing!) or some homemade goodies as they rarely have time to do their own cooking and baking as they can be workaholics.
Cancer: Cancers like to be home bound. They are very caring and enjoy the company of family and close friends. They also enjoy good food. A gift certificate to a restaurant, a movie basket (with video rental, popcorn, treats...) to enjoy at home with family or a basket of homemade goodies will be well appreciated!
Leo: Leos love attention and themselves. They are quite funny too! Get something that has their name on it (like printed towels) or mugs, perhaps a joke book, dvd or video. Maybe take a picture of them, and get an artist to do it in charcoal/pencil. A gift certificate to a spa would also be appreciated. They like quality things, so spoil them with their favourite fancy coffee or foods!
Virgo: (will fill this in as soon as i can!)
Scorpio: Scorpios are sensitive, like some structure and security. They are passionate about the things that they do and take a lot of pride in them. They like to read up on everything. Books on their favourite topic or hobby would be appreciated, or a gift certificate to a bookstore. Gift certificate to a clothing store is also nice, as they tend not to splurge a whole lot on themselves with extra luxury items.
Saggitarius: Smart, optimistic and laid back. They tend to be very low key, open minded and not materialistic. They'll be happy with almost anything as long as you're not trying to impress them. Make the gift real, they love useful things. Making something for them, or inviting them out for social drinks or a movie is always a safe bet! Perhaps a gift certificate for their favourite coffee place. Get them something they'll actually use. They also love gadgets.
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My cleaning advice
Monday, November 24, 2008 | By JSKA980405
This is my advice on how to make a really good baby or infant high chair cleaner. I use one of those spray bottles with a combination of dishsoap and water or even a combination of water, vinegar and a little lemon or orange juice or extract. This has really cleaned my sons high chair and even if he gets his fingers on the vinegar- water combo he wont get sick tasting it. SO i hope this helps and ill be checking back with you all later and see if my advice helps LOL bye for now
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Making your own cleaner
Monday, October 27, 2008 | By JSKA980405
I have found with kids you cant just use any cleanser. Lots of them are harmful and with a lot of us going GREEN lol this is a wonderful cleanser for almost anything you want to clean--- I dont really measure so ill just list the ingredients and you be the judge of how much you want to make, I use- Baking soda, table salt, baking powder, cream of tartar. after its all mixed up i put it in one of those old spice containers, the plastic ones that are washed out and dried. Then rub some around with a little damp rag or scrubber and wash as you usually would with other cleaners. Comment if youd like:-) thanks! Hope this helps :-)
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Displays and Storage
Saturday, June 21, 2008 | By craftymama
I make jewelry and I've been looking for more ways to display what I've made. I also need a new way of storing my jewelry. What I am using right now is really beyond it's limit. It's starting to loose it's handle, lol. It's also not very protective. I'm afraid my jewelry might get squished. If anyone has any suggestions, that would be great...Especially if I can make it myself.
craftmama
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